Subject The research focuses on economic relations arising from deals with derivatives on international and national stock exchanges.Objectives The research represents a comparative analysis of various financial derivative instruments used worldwide. We trace new trends in their development and discern where and how they will be used in the Russian regions.Methods We apply the dialectical method of research into economic phenomena, scientific abstraction, analysis, synthesis, grouping and comparison, visual analysis of financials.Results We articulated why it is more preferable to conclude OTC derivative contracts as opposed to those traded on stock exchanges. The article also challenges the financial derivatives market in Russia and what it should await in the future, mentioning its actors' needs at the current phase of its development.Conclusions and Relevance There should be a specialized national platform for derivatives trade. It will expand their use for international payments and mitigate economic risks of national parties to foreign economic trade. We systematized how various business segments may use them in Russia, thus determining probable risks and opportunities. This amplifies scholarly views of the system for international settlements and deals with these instruments, unveils its substance and shows how it can be improved. The findings and conclusions can be applied by experts in international finance, researchers, attendants of professional advancement courses, students and postgraduates in higher schools of economics. This material may also prove useful to traders handling investment processes in financial markets.